Tube socket



Oct. 12, 1948. c mnlolqyI JR 2,450,873

TUBE SOCKET Filed Sept. 27, 194:5

, -mvENToR (W4/afs /vra/VY, JR.

,.l'vrrreltellted Oct. 12, ,1948.

= UNITED jsTATEs 'man sooner charles Antony, Jr., Rockville centre, N. Y., sa

signor to The .Sperry Corporation, a corporation ci' pelaware A Application September 27, 1943, Serial No. 504,036

, 1 Y. This invention relates generally to sockets for receiving thermlonic tubes, but has reference more particularly to sockets which also serve to form a closure for openings in iluid containers, such as those employed for' housing high potential electrical devices, such as transformers and the like. The novel socket is particularly adapted for use in connection with high frequency, high voltage radio apparatus at sea level or at h-lgh altitudes. Where such high voltages are used, it is necessary to provide heavy insulation -to prevent electrical breakdown or arc-over by spacing or placing baffles between the conductors of opposite `polarity. In many instances and to avoid arcing or breakdown between terminals or between a termi-l nal and ground, the electrical apparatus which produces the high potentl-al,such as transformers, are placed in a container and surrounded with oil or some other insulatingiiui-d. Being thus enclosed, there is present the problem of making electrical connection between the enclosed devices and exterior associated equipment while effecting a fluid-tight closure of the container, and also of shielding the terminal connections to prevent arcing. Furthermore, in many-cases such as in airplane installations, conditions require that all equipment be designed to occupy a minimum of space. By this invention all of these problems are solved by providing a novel socket which forms both a connection and a closure for the fluid container and also a shield or baille between the terminal connections and between the terminals and adjacent grounded parts.

It is, therefore, an object of the present inven tion to provide a combined tube socket, adapted to receive the prongs of a'thermionic tube such as, for example, a rectier tube, and a closure element adapted to provide a fluid-tight closure of an opening in a fluid container through which electrical connections are made between said socket and a high potential electrical device or devices immersed in the fluid in said container.

It is another object oi the present invention to Aprovide a combined tube socket and closure element comprising a diaphragm or shelf disposed within the socket hou-sing and below the' open top thereof, to form a compartment therebeneath which provides a space where electrical connections can be made to the contacts engageable by the prongs of the tube. o L

It is another object of the invention to provide a combined tube socket and closure element wherein the electrical terminals are so arranged within and disposed below and in Y suillciently comme. (ci. 11a-casi l 2 spacedrelation to the open top of the socket housing that the walls or said housing form a f baille between the terminals and the surrounding equipment thereby to preventy any electrical 5 breakdown or arc-over.

It is another object of my invention to provide a combined tube socket and closure element which is so constructed as to provide a shielded terminal adapted to be electrically connected with a conductor leading to other equipment exterior of the iluid container.

VIt is still another object of my invention toprovide a combined tube socket and closure element v 2o taken in connection with the accompanying draw-y ings. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section,

showing theA novel tube socket used in connection with a fluid container:

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the socket alone, takenon line 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section of the novel socket; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view o1y one of the termina connections of the socket.

Similar characters of reference are employed in .the above described views to indicate the corresponding parts.

The tube socket and closure element-is generally indicated by reference character I0 which is shown as supporting a thermion-ic tube, such as a rectier Il. The socket Ill is adapted to close an opening I2 inthe iluid container I3 shown as a #housing fora transformer i4.

The socket I0 compri-ses a substantially cylin- I8 is molded or otherwise rmly fixed to the side walls and slightly above the base of the receptacle I5 and extends outwardly therefrom to provide means for attaching the socket I0 to the iluid container I3. 'I'he llange |-8 rests on a shoulder I9 sun'ounding .the opening in container i3 and a 3 Basket 2l is interposed therebetween. Screws 2|' serve to clamp the iiange Il and gasket 2l to the shoulder I8 to form a tluid-tight-seal between the tube socket and the container. A

i 'I'he base I1 of receptacle I 5, by virtue of the position of the flange I8, extends below the underside of the upper container wall I3 and into the iluid in the container. Pin terminals 22 and 23 are moulded in the base I1 to which connections may be made between the contacts disposed interiorly of receptacle I8 and the electrical devices withm the iluid container I3. It will be understood, however, that there may not be only two such terminals but a plurality of them according to the kind of tube employed or to the number of connections to be made from within the :duid container to the outside thereof.

In considering these terminal connections, only one circuit will bey described as the others are similar and need not be discussed in detail.

To conduit electrical current from pin'terminal 22 to the tube II and/or to other outside equipment a flat band conductor 24 is soldered or otherwise fastenedto the upper end 28 of the pin terminal 22. Band conductor 24 is so formed as to extend laterally from the pin top 25 to the inner wall 28 of the receptacle I5 and thence upwardly along the wall surface to another terminal 21 intermediate the terminal 22 and the tube connecting terminal 28 ilxed to a diaphragm member 29.

The diaphragm 29 takes the general form of a shelf or plate moulded from an electrical in sulating material such as Bakelite or the like and ilts into the receptacle so as to form a compartment 30 underneath it. Compartment 35 provides a space into which the connector prongs of tube II project and where bare electrical surfaces are well protected. A shoulder 3| which forms a part of the inner wall 2S of receptacle I5, supports diaphragm 23 and determines its position above the base I1 of the receptacle I5. The shoulder 3| has vertical slots 32, therein, so as to prevent the band conductor 24 from slipping out of place or otherwise moving. The prong of the tube II passes through a hole 33 drilled in the diaphragm 29 and is clamped rmly in place by. spring connection or contact 28.

A more detailed showing of contact 28 is shown in Fig. 4. Here contact 28 is shown as being stamped from sheet metal and having one end thereof bent into a split cylindrical sleeve 34. At its top 35, the sleeve is outwardly splayed so as to easily receive the prong of tube When the tube I is inserted into contact 28 the walls of sleeve 34 are spread apart at the split-38 but will tightly engage the prong and hold it rmly in place. The other end 31 of contact 28 is adapted for connection to the intermediate terminal 21, laterally displaced from the prong receiving sleeve 34. The contact 28 may be fastened to the diaphragm by any suitable means such as rivet 38 which passes through a hole 33 in the contact 28 and a hole 40 in the diaphragm 29, where it is fastened in a recess 4|, thereby allowing the tube base to set evenly on the diaphragm 29.

The diaphragm .29 is held against upward movement when the tube is removed from the lsocket by terminal 21 and other similar termi- 43 .which holds the'end of the band conductor 24 and end 31 of contact member 28 as well as a 4 terminal member 44 to which may be fastened a lead 4I for connection to other parts'of the equipment.

As stated above, the socket receptacle is generally cup-shaped. However, at intervals around the sides thereof, the walls are provided with outwardly extending, hollow projections 43 to surround in'part the spaces for the, intermediate terminals 21 (see Fig. 3). These projections are thus formed to` limit the size of the socket. lThat is, if the exterior walls of the receptacle I5 were cylindrical and the spaces for terminals -21 included therein, the flange I3 would have to extend even beyond this. in order to make the screws 2| accessible. Therefore. by placing theseproiections for terminals 21 as illustrated, it is possible to make the ilange Il small and space the screws 2| between the projections.

The terminals 21 are positioned inside the receptacle I5 and a substantialdistance below the top II thereof. By this construction the breakdown" path or shortest arcing distance between the terminal 21 and ground at the ange I3 is of considerable length, that is, a path which extends from terminal 21 upA the inner wall of receptacle I5, over the top I8 and thence downwardalong the outer wall to iiange I8.

Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined tube socket and closure element adapted for connection to high potentials and to form a closure for a fluid container, said socket comprising a generally cup-shaped receptacle of electrical insulating material open at its top'and closed at its base, a diaphragm carried by and fixedly disposed intermediate the open top and the base of said receptacle and forming a cup thereabove and a compartment therebeneath for protecting bare electrical surfaces, first terminal means extending downwardly from said diaphragm into said compartment for receiving and gripping the prongs o! a tube, and second terminal means electrically connected to said first terminal means inside said compartment and extending through and exteriorly of the base of said receptacle.

2. A combined tube socket and closure element adapted for connection to high potentials and to form a closure for a fluid container, said socket comprising a generally cup-shaped receptacle of electrical insulating material open at its top and closed at the base. first terminal means disposedon a diaphragm within said receptacle and adapted to receive and grip the prongs of a tube, second terminal means electrically connected to said first terminal means and extending exteriorly of the base of said receptacle, mounting means for said receptacle including a continuous ilange secured to and extending laterally from the base thereoL'and third terminal means arranged interiorly of said receptacle and electrically connecting said first and second terminal means, said third terminal means serving at least in part to fasten said diaphragm within said'receptacle.

3. A combined tube socket and closure element adapted for connection to high potentials and to form a closure for a uid container, said socket comprising a generally cup-shaped receptacle of electrical insulating material open at its top and closed at the base, rst terminal means disposed said first terminal means and extending exteriorlyof the base of said receptacle, mounting means L for said receptacle including a continuous flange secured to and extending laterally from the base thereof, and third terminal means arranged interiorly of said receptacle but in laterally spaced relation to'said first terminal means, said third terminal meansproviding for connection of said first and second terminal means to an exteriorly extending conductor and serving at least in part to fasten said diaphragm within said receptacle.

4. A', combined tube socket and closure element comprising a generally cup-shaped receptacle of electrical insulating material open at the top and closed at the base, rst terminal means disposed on a diaphragm within said receptacle and adapted to receive and grip' the prongs of a tube, second terminal means adapted to be electrically connected to said rst terminal means and extending exteriorly of the base of said receptacle, g5 Number and third terminal means arranged interlorly of said receptacle in radially spaced relation to said first terminal means,said third terminal means simultaneously electrically connecting said first and second terminal means to each other and to an exteriorly extending conductor and serving at least in part to fasten said diaphragm within said receptacle.

CHARLES ANTONY, J n.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th fille of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number lName Date 1,523,430 Knoop Jan. 20, 1925 1,685,766 Mosher Sept. 25, 1928 1,798,367 Burnham Mar. 21, 1931 1,819,805 Zuckerman Aug. 18, 1931 1,833,984 Bohlman Dec. 1, 1931 1,839,633 Alden Jan. 5, 1932 1,850,583 Gage Mar. 22, 1932 2,017,940 Bessey Oct. 22, 1935 2,111,381 Barton Mar. 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 162,367 Great Britain Apr. 25, 1921 228,130

Great Britain Oct. 15. 1925 

